Impact Damage Detection Using Chirp Ultrasonic Guided Waves for Development of Health Monitoring System for CFRP Mobility Structures.

When impact damage occurs in carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) structures, it is barely visible but may cause significant degradation in the mechanical properties of the structure. Hence, a structural health monitoring (SHM) system that can be installed in CFRP mobility structures and is sensitive to impact damage is needed. In this study, we attempted to establish an SHM system based on ultrasonic guided waves, which are generated by inputting a broadband chirp signal into a film-like piezoelectric actuator. The relationship between impact damage size and maximum time-of-flight (ToF) delay was investigated for three types of CFRP plates: woven, non-woven, and hybrid laminates. As a result, it was found that the maximum ToF delay increased linearly with an increase in the damage size for all CFRP laminates. Moreover, the amplitude of the A0 mode was found to be significantly affected by the damage length in the wave propagation direction. Thus, this SHM method using chirp ultrasonic waves can quantitatively evaluate the size and extent of the impact damage in CFRP laminates.

Investigation of hindwing folding in ladybird beetles by artificial elytron transplantation and microcomputed tomography.

Ladybird beetles are high-mobility insects and explore broad areas by switching between walking and flying. Their excellent wing transformation systems enabling this lifestyle are expected to provide large potential for engineering applications. However, the mechanism behind the folding of their hindwings remains unclear. The reason is that ladybird beetles close the elytra ahead of wing folding, preventing the observation of detailed processes occurring under the elytra. In the present study, artificial transparent elytra were transplanted on living ladybird beetles, thereby enabling us to observe the detailed wing-folding processes. The result revealed that in addition to the abdominal movements mentioned in previous studies, the edge and ventral surface of the elytra, as well as characteristic shaped veins, play important roles in wing folding. The structures of the wing frames enabling this folding process and detailed 3D shape of the hindwing were investigated using microcomputed tomography. The results showed that the tape spring-like elastic frame plays an important role in the wing transformation mechanism. Compared with other beetles, hindwings in ladybird beetles are characterized by two seemingly incompatible properties: (i) the wing rigidity with relatively thick veins and (ii) the compactness in stored shapes with complex crease patterns. The detailed wing-folding process revealed in this study is expected to facilitate understanding of the naturally optimized system in this excellent deployable structure.

Ultrasonic Structural Health Monitoring Using Fiber Bragg Grating.

The fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor, which was developed over recent decades, has been widely used to measure manifold static measurands in a variety of industrial sectors. Multiple experiments have demonstrated its ability in ultrasonic detection and its potential in ultrasonic structural health monitoring. Unlike static measurements, ultrasonic detection requires a higher sensitivity and broader bandwidth to ensure the fidelity of the ultrasonic Lamb wave that propagates in a plate-like structure for the subsequent waveform analysis. Thus, the FBG sensor head and its corresponding demodulation system need to be carefully designed, and other practical issues, such as the installation methods and data process methods, should also be properly addressed. In this review, the mature techniques of FBG-based ultrasonic sensors and their practical applications in ultrasonic structural health monitoring are discussed. In addition, state-of-the-art techniques are introduced to fully present the current developments.

Asymmetric hindwing foldings in rove beetles.

Foldable wings of insects are the ultimate deployable structures and have attracted the interest of aerospace engineering scientists as well as entomologists. Rove beetles are known to fold their wings in the most sophisticated ways that have right-left asymmetric patterns. However, the specific folding process and the reason for this asymmetry remain unclear. This study reveals how these asymmetric patterns emerge as a result of the folding process of rove beetles. A high-speed camera was used to reveal the details of the wing-folding movement. The results show that these characteristic asymmetrical patterns emerge as a result of simultaneous folding of overlapped wings. The revealed folding mechanisms can achieve not only highly compact wing storage but also immediate deployment. In addition, the right and left crease patterns are interchangeable, and thus each wing internalizes two crease patterns and can be folded in two different ways. This two-way folding gives freedom of choice for the folding direction to a rove beetle. The use of asymmetric patterns and the capability of two-way folding are unique features not found in artificial structures. These features have great potential to extend the design possibilities for all deployable structures, from space structures to articles of daily use.

Fiber-Optic Sensor-Based Remote Acoustic Emission Measurement in a 1000 °C Environment.

Recently, the authors have proposed a remote acoustic emission (AE) measurement configuration using a sensitive fiber-optic Bragg grating (FBG) sensor. In the configuration, the FBG sensor was remotely bonded on a plate, and an optical fiber was used as the waveguide to propagate AE waves from the adhesive point to the sensor. The previous work (Yu et al., Smart Materials and Structures 25 (10), 105,033 (2016)) has clarified the sensing principle behind the special remote measurement system that enables accurate remote sensing of AE signals. Since the silica-glass optical fibers have a high heat-resistance exceeding 1000 °C, this work presents a preliminary high-temperature AE detection method by using the optical fiber-based ultrasonic waveguide to propagate the AE from a high-temperature environment to a room-temperature environment, in which the FBG sensor could function as the receiver of the guided wave. As a result, the novel measurement configuration successfully achieved highly sensitive and stable AE detection in an alumina plate at elevated temperatures in the 100 °C to 1000 °C range. Due to its good performance, this detection method will be potentially useful for the non-destructive testing that can be performed in high-temperature environments to evaluate the microscopic damage in heat-resistant materials.

Waveform reconstruction for an ultrasonic fiber Bragg grating sensor demodulated by an erbium fiber laser.

Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) demodulated by an erbium fiber laser (EFL) has been used for ultrasonic detection recently. However, due to the inherent relaxation oscillation (RO) of the EFL, the detected ultrasonic signals have large deformations, especially in the low-frequency range. We proposed a novel data processing method to reconstruct an actual ultrasonic waveform. The noise spectrum was smoothed first; the actual ultrasonic spectrum was then obtained by deconvolution in order to mitigate the influence of the RO of the EFL. We proved by experiment that this waveform reconstruction method has high precision, and demonstrated that the FBG sensor demodulated by the EFL will have large practical applications in nondestructive testing.

PARAFAC Decomposition for Ultrasonic Wave Sensing of Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors: Procedure and Evaluation.

Ultrasonic wave-sensing technology has been applied for the health monitoring of composite structures, using normal fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors with a high-speed wavelength interrogation system of arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) filters; however, researchers are required to average thousands of repeated measurements to distinguish significant signals. To resolve this bottleneck problem, this study established a signal-processing strategy that improves the signal-to-noise ratio for the one-time measured signal of ultrasonic waves, by application of parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) technology that produces unique multiway decomposition without additional orthogonal or independent constraints. Through bandpass processing of the AWG filter and complex wavelet transforms, ultrasonic wave signals are preprocessed as time, phase, and frequency profiles, and then decomposed into a series of conceptual three-way atoms by PARAFAC. While an ultrasonic wave results in a Bragg wavelength shift, antiphase fluctuations can be observed at two adjacent AWG ports. Thereby, concentrating on antiphase features among the three-way atoms, a fitting atom can be chosen and then restored to three-way profiles as a final result. An experimental study has revealed that the final result is consistent with the conventional 1024-data averaging signal, and relative error evaluation has indicated that the signal-to-noise ratio of ultrasonic waves can be significantly improved.

Investigation of dynamic properties of erbium fiber laser for ultrasonic sensing.

Dynamic properties of an erbium fiber laser (EFL) is researched and demonstrated for ultrasonic sensing in this research. The EFL has ring cavity incorporated with a phase-shifted fiber Bragg grating. A numerical model is used to analyze its dynamic responses to quasi-static change, continuous wave and burst wave. The ultrasonic behavior of the EFL resembles the forced single degree of freedom vibration with damping. Corresponding experimental results fit the simulation results well, showing some interesting ultrasonic properties of this EFL. After certain data process method, this EFL can be used in practical ultrasonic nondestructive testing.

Sensitivity distribution properties of a phase-shifted fiber bragg grating sensor to ultrasonic waves.

In this research, the sensitivity distribution properties of a phase-shifted fiber Bragg grating (PS-FBG) to ultrasonic waves were investigated employing the surface attachment method. A careful consideration was taken and examined by experimental results to explain that the distances and angles between the sensor and ultrasonic source influence not only the amplitudes, but also the initial phases, waveforms, and spectra of detected signals. Furthermore, factors, including the attachment method and the material's geometric dimensions, were also discussed. Although these results were obtained based on PS-FBG, they are also applicable to a normal FBG sensor or even an optical fiber sensor, due to the identical physical changes induced by ultrasonic waves in all three. Thus, these results are useful for applications of optical fiber sensors in non-destructive testing and structural health monitoring.

Genomic analysis of an ultrasmall freshwater green alga, Medakamo hakoo.

Ultrasmall algae have attracted the attention of biologists investigating the basic mechanisms underlying living systems. Their potential as effective organisms for producing useful substances is also of interest in bioindustry. Although genomic information is indispensable for elucidating metabolism and promoting molecular breeding, many ultrasmall algae remain genetically uncharacterized. Here, we present the nuclear genome sequence of an ultrasmall green alga of freshwater habitats, Medakamo hakoo. Evolutionary analyses suggest that this species belongs to a new genus within the class Trebouxiophyceae. Sequencing analyses revealed that its genome, comprising 15.8 Mbp and 7629 genes, is among the smallest known genomes in the Viridiplantae. Its genome has relatively few genes associated with genetic information processing, basal transcription factors, and RNA transport. Comparative analyses revealed that 1263 orthogroups were shared among 15 ultrasmall algae from distinct phylogenetic lineages. The shared gene sets will enable identification of genes essential for algal metabolism and cellular functions.

High-sensitivity ultrasonic phase-shifted fiber Bragg grating balanced sensing system.

A high-sensitivity ultrasonic sensing system is proposed and demonstrated. In this system, a phase-shifted fiber Bragg grating (PS-FBG) is used as a sensor to achieve broadband and highly sensitive detection. The PS-FBG modulates the output of a tunable laser to detect the ultrasonic strain directly. Balanced photo-detector (BPD) is used for eliminating the DC component and further amplifying the AC component in the detected signal. Another major function of the BPD is to reject laser intensity noise. As a result, the minimum detectable strain is limited by the BPD's noise and laser frequency noise. The sensitivity of the system is 9 nε/Hz(1/2). Because of its high sensitivity, this system has the potential to be used in acousto-ultrasonic testing without amplifying the input signal and in practical acoustic emission detection.

Ultrasonic sensor employing two cascaded phase-shifted fiber Bragg gratings suitable for multiplexing.

An ultrasonic sensor based on two cascaded phase-shifted fiber Bragg gratings (PS-FBGs) is proposed and demonstrated. In place of an external cavity laser, a broadband amplified spontaneous emission light source is used to demonstrate multiplexing ability suitable for sensor networks. The system has a high sensitivity to ultrasonic waves generated by a PZT actuator placed 7.5 cm away from the PS-FBG, because of the steep slope in the center of the PS-FBG spectrum. A second advantage of the phase shift is to reduce the effective sensor length, leading to the achievement of broadband characteristics. A pencil lead break test was performed and all results are compared to a traditional PZT sensor.

The beetle elytron plate: a lightweight, high-strength and buffering functional-structural bionic material.

To investigate the characteristics of compression, buffering and energy dissipation in beetle elytron plates (BEPs), compression experiments were performed on BEPs and honeycomb plates (HPs) with the same wall thickness in different core structures and using different molding methods. The results are as follows: 1) The compressive strength and energy dissipation capacity in the BEP are 2.44 and 5.0 times those in the HP, respectively, when the plates are prepared using the full integrated method (FIM). 2) The buckling stress is directly proportional to the square of the wall thickness (t). Thus, for core structures with equal wall thicknesses, although the core volume of the BEP is 42 percent greater than that of the HP, the mechanical properties of the BEP are several times higher than those of the HP. 3) It is also proven that even when the single integrated method (SIM) is used to prepare BEPs, the properties discussed above remain superior to those of HPs by a factor of several; this finding lays the foundation for accelerating the commercialization of BEPs based on modern manufacturing processes.

Structural characteristics of the core layer and biomimetic model of the ladybug forewing.

To explore the characteristics of the core structure of ladybug (Harmonia axyridis) forewings, their microstructure was studied using microscopes. The results suggest that trabeculae exist in the frame of the beetle (ladybug) forewing for the first time; this study represents the first determination of the parameters N, the total number of trabeculae in each forewing, and λt, the ratio of the cross-sectional area of the trabeculae to the effective area of trabecular distribution. The cross-sectional area of a single trabecula in the ladybug forewing is smaller than those in two other kinds of beetles, Allomyrina dichotoma and Prosopocoilus inclinatus. However, the average trabecular density of the ladybug forewing is 84 per square millimeter, which is the highest among these three kinds of beetles. The λt values are 1.0%, 1.5% and 10.5% for H. axyridis, A. dichotoma and P. inclinatus, respectively, and the corresponding N values are approximately 1.4, 1.7 and 3.7 thousand, respectively. Based on these findings, a biomimetic model of the ladybug forewing is proposed, which is characterized by a core structure with a high-density distribution of thin trabeculae surrounded by a foam-like material.

Designing of self-deploying origami structures using geometrically misaligned crease patterns.

Usually, origami-based morphing structures are designed on the premise of 'rigid folding', i.e. the facets and fold lines of origami can be replaced with rigid panels and ideal hinges, respectively. From a structural mechanics viewpoint, some rigid-foldable origami models are overconstrained and have negative degrees of freedom (d.f.). In these cases, the singularity in crease patterns guarantees their rigid foldability. This study presents a new method for designing self-deploying origami using the geometrically misaligned creases. In this method, some facets are replaced by 'holes' such that the systems become a 1-d.f. mechanism. These perforated origami models can be folded and unfolded similar to rigid-foldable (without misalignment) models because of their d.f. focusing on the removed facets, the holes will deform according to the motion of the frame of the remaining parts. In the proposed method, these holes are filled with elastic parts and store elastic energy for self-deployment. First, a new extended rigid-folding simulation technique is proposed to estimate the deformation of the holes. Next, the proposed method is applied on arbitrary-size quadrilateral mesh origami. Finally, by using the finite-element method, the authors conduct numerical simulations and confirm the deployment capabilities of the models.